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Top positive review

To the previous reviewer. You obviously have not read the book. It has only been available for a few hours. If You at least read her introduction you would know exactly why she chose these four. It's because she has been studying these men for thirtyyears, and has added facts about their early life that may have influenced their leadership. AT LEAST READ THE INTRO

Top critical review

2.0 out of 5 starsToo much of the author's impression that historical accuracy.

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2018

While I admire all the Presidents described and the author is truly knowledgeable, I believe her personal feelings have crept into this book a little too deeply. While Johnson was an adequate President, I don't see how anyone could compare him with the Roosevelts and Lincoln. I believe the only reason he is included is the author's personal relationship with him has clouded her impressions.

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To the previous reviewer. You obviously have not read the book. It has only been available for a few hours. If You at least read her introduction you would know exactly why she chose these four. It's because she has been studying these men for thirtyyears, and has added facts about their early life that may have influenced their leadership. AT LEAST READ THE INTRO

The best way to study leadership is to study leaders. How they exercised influence in their contexts provides examples of how we can do so in ours. For this reason, it is paramount for leaders to be well-versed in biography and history, the knowledge of people and their times.

Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Leadership in Turbulent Times provides case studies of the leadership of four U.S. presidents at critical junctures in their administrations:• Abraham Lincoln exemplifies transformational leadership as he expanded the North’s war aims from union to emancipation through the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.• Theodore Roosevelt provides a model of crisis management by how he brought labor and management to the table during the Great Coal Strike of 1902.• Exuding optimism and executing a plan to respond to the Great Depression in his first 100 days, Franklin Delano Roosevelt offers a master class in turnaround leadership.• And Lyndon Johnson demonstrates visionary leadership by using all the forces at his disposal — including persuasion and hardball politics — to pass the Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965), fundamentally altering the legal terms under which whites and blacks related to one another.

Goodwin presents these case studies in Part III of her book, “The Leader and the Times: How They Led.” Of each president’s White House years, she writes: “There, at their formidable best, when guided by a sense of moral purpose, they were able to channel their ambitions and summon their talents to enlarge the opportunities and lives of others.”

But those ambitions and talents didn’t emerge de novo or ex nihilo. The four presidents were influenced by circumstances just as much as they in turn influenced them. Part I, “Ambition and the Recognition of Leadership,” narrates the burgeoning sense of possibility each president experienced in his 20s especially, along with the recognition by their peers that they were destined for greater things. Part II, “Adversity and Growth,” shows how each one faced a test or series of tests that forced them to ask deeper questions of their life’s meaning — questions that, once answered, steeled their commitment to lead. Finally, an Epilogue examines how each man reflected on his enduring reputation, a fame that would last beyond both his administration and his death. How would they be remembered by posterity?

As with Goodwin’s previous works on these four presidents, Leadership in Turbulent Times is a gripping read, combining biographical detail and historical context. It is the addition of shrewd insights about leadership throughout the book that marks a departure from her earlier biographies. Those insights are well-grounded and explicit.

One of the great dangers of drawing lessons from biography or history is that such lessons smooth over differences, whether among the subjects of biographical inquiry, or between their times and our own. Doris Kearns Goodwin is well aware of this danger and largely avoids it. The leadership principles she draws organically arise from the events she narrates. Here’s how she explains the matter in the book’s Foreword:

"These four extended examples show how their leadership fit the historical moment as a key fits a lock. No key is exactly the same; each has a different line of ridges and notches along its blade. While there is neither a master key to leadership nor a common lock of historical circumstance, we can detect a certain family resemblance of leadership traits as we trace the alignment of leadership capacity within its historical context."

That “family resemblance of leadership traits,” the book’s explicit lesson, is what leaders will most appreciate about Leadership in Turbulent Times. Its implicit lesson is that leaders must know themselves and their own times if they want to change them. Leadership never occurs in a vacuum where principles can be applied automatically. Rather, it requires wisdom. Like the biblical men of Issachar, leaders understand the times and know just what to do (1 Chronicles 12:32).

Doris Kearns Goodwin is a great historian and a terrific writer. As in her biographies, this one is well researched, logically organized, and converted into splendid prose. It is undoubtedly true that a few of the quotes appear both here and in the individual biographies, but they are used in a very different context. I don’t accept, therefore, the charge of redundancy.

Biography is not a prescription for leadership, however, no matter whose life is chronicled. In this book Goodwin has clearly stepped out of her boat and, on balance, done a remarkable job. (In terms of effort and taking a risk I’d give her a 6.) She offers far more insight than, I must admit, I thought a biographer, even the best in the business, might. In that respect, I think, this will go down as one of the great achievements of her career.

In the end, however, I’m not sure Kearns quite cracks the nut of leadership. Each of the four men profiled were great leaders but I’m still not sure what the core elements of leadership are. She defines that core for each of them, but they, by her own portrayal, were all very different men with very different life experiences. While defining their leadership skills after the fact is meaningful, it’s not particularly predictive unless common elements can be established. And while she insightfully chronicles the core leadership qualities of each, I never quite felt like she provided a blueprint.

She’s not alone, however. As a former CEO and current executive coach I have diligently studied leadership over a span exceeding four decades. My thesis before reading this book was that the qualities of leadership could only be isolated after the fact and that the variables articulated could not be applied pro-actively. Every leader, in other words, is different, and leadership is an unpredictable confluence of individual qualities and external events.

Goodwin has not changed that assessment (hence the 4 – I’m reviewing the book, not the author) but she nonetheless made a valiant effort and did, in fact, move me a few baby steps off the position I previously held. For that reason I believe this is a very worthy book but caution readers who believe they are going to find a prescription for leaders that they can apply in their own lives. To be clear, however, I would say the same thing about any book on leadership, including those written by the most popular gurus of the topic, virtually all of which I have read.

What struck me most about the author’s characterization is how much each of these undeniably great leaders looks, at their core, a lot like you and me. More ambition, for sure. In a couple of cases, more raw brainpower. None, however, were gods. Each struggled with the adversity that each of us faces, no matter the station we are born into. Each faced undeniable failure and humiliation. Each struggled to find their rhythm of leadership.

And that, I believe, is one of the secrets to this author’s greatness. She finds the humanity in all of us, whether you are Abraham Lincoln or John Smith. She understands people and that is not a universal trait among those who excel at prose.

I, to be frank, found the humanity of these four great leaders very uplifting and reassuring. In an age in which the world around us seems to be screaming that “you are wrong”, it gave me some desperately needed hope. So, if you could use a dash of hope, and who can’t, I strongly recommend you read this book. Thanks to Ms. Goodwin for sharing it.

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This book is original in that it focuses on the leadership aspects of each president while also comparing their similarities and differences verses just telling each of their stories individually. The key take away is that leadership is something you grow into not born with, ech of these role models grew into their leadership roles through adversity and with intestinal fortitude. The guy who gave 2/5 stars is kinda lazy he obviously hasn't read the book, because it is explicitly explained why she chose LBJ

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I am not one who writes book reviews (in fact, this is my first one). I finished the book last night and I am still thinking about it. It is exquisitely written. The lessons in leadership are very interesting, but it was the last chapter that really brought it all together and made me feel that the author has really lived and breathed her research for a good portion of her life. Beautifully done!

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The book is written in three parts. Jumping from one president to another and one topic to another topic might makes it hard to follow. Having read the other books by Doris Kearns Goodwin makes this book an easy read for me. For example, Lyndon Johnson was a master mechanic of the legislative process.

The book started by describing how leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson developed their leadership skills in Part 1. In part 2, it talks about how these leaders deal with adversity. Part 3 is what I like most. It was labeled as how they led but it is more like how they deal with different social problems.

She used Abraham Lincoln as an example of transformational leadership, Theodore Roosevelt for Crisis Leadership, Franklin Roosevelt for Turnaround Leadership and Lyndon Johnson for Visionary Leadership. It is written more like a case study. I like chapter 10 the most as it is about crisis management and it is still very relevant for today's world - labor strike is still happening!

Strictly speaking, I would not call it a book on leadership. It is more about getting things done.

I have not finished reading the book yet. But good reading so far!

If you like this book, you will probably like this book by Professor Nancy Koehn - Forged in Crisis: The Making of Five Courageous Leaders.

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While I admire all the Presidents described and the author is truly knowledgeable, I believe her personal feelings have crept into this book a little too deeply. While Johnson was an adequate President, I don't see how anyone could compare him with the Roosevelts and Lincoln. I believe the only reason he is included is the author's personal relationship with him has clouded her impressions.

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Among popular historians of presidential history Dr. Doris Kearns Goodwin stands as a peerless biographer whose insightful and well researched biographies have educated Americans for decades. I have read all of her previous books and this new entry in the canon is a wonderful contribution to our understanding of four important and great presidents! The book is excellent in showing how each of the leaders:. Overcame adversity and went on to lead the nation. Lincoln suffered from suicidal depression; Theodore Roosevelt mourned the loss of his young wife and mother on the same day but recovered in a two year stay in Dakota where he operated a cattle ranch, served as police commissioner of New York, San Juan Hill Rough Rider hero and governor of New York and Vice-President before becoming America's youngest chief executive at 42 following the assassination of President William McKinley. Franklin Roosevelt conquered polio, became governor of New York and lead America through the Great Depression and World War II. LBJ was a Texas politician who served as Senate majority leader, Vice President under JFK and as president introduced vital civil rights legislation through the US Congress. The stories of the four men is fascinating and reminds Americans that in turbulent and divisive times the leadership of presidents who have a vision and a dream for the future and the savvy to work with others in implementing their plans. This is a great and important biography of four great men Lincoln, Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt and LBJ. Excellent and highly recommended!

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Doris Kearns Goodwin is noted for writing on political figures and she has done a marvelous work with how four presidents (Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson) all adjusted to difficult situations as President and came through successfully. Lincoln had the Civil War, Teddy Roosevelt as New York City Police Commissioner turned around a corrupt situation and then faced an unexpected position as President of the United States with the assassination of President William McKinley, Franklin Roosevelt dealt with the Great Depression and World War II, and Lyndon Johnson won victories with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. All four men were faced with difficult situations and came through successfully despite facing depression of one kind or another. The final section of the book covers the death of each of these leaders.

I had to go slowly throughout the book since reading political history is not necessarily my forte. However, if you are a novice in this area like me you can enjoy the book and add to your understanding of American history if you take the time to go through the book at a slower pace.